It's never too late to try something new or pursue something meaningful. Lichu Sloan, currently 72-years-old, found her passion for running at 49-years-old.
At 52, she ran the Mohawk Hudson River Marathon and completed her first marathon. From there, she never looked back.
"I was able to do four in the first year," Sloan said. "And go from 4:17 to 3:57."
Over the next two decades, her passion for marathons and traveling continuously collided. The Clifton Park native has completed the 26.2 mile run in every state, twice. That includes the Boston Marathon three times.
At one point, she was averaging 20 marathons a year. In 2008, she finished seven marathons on seven continents in seven weeks.
"I was able to do a marathon in Antarctica. It's quite an experience," Sloan said.
After 20 years of running marathons, Sloan reached another milestone this past Sunday. She was in Croatia and completed her 242nd marathon in her 100th country. According to Country Club, only 15 people have completed this goal. The group says she is only the third woman to accomplish this.
"It's almost like I don't want to miss a running opportunity to visit those countries that's why I keep going," Sloan said.
Sloan finished first in her age group in Croatia. She says this was her favorite 26.2 mile run so far. In 2019, she ran 23 marathons. So far this year, Sloan has already finished three. Her next marathon will be in the Cook Islands.
"Traveling, meeting new friends and see the world. And that's all very positive things," Sloan said. "And that's what keeps me going."
She says doing it all keeps her young and gives her a sense of direction. That is why Sloan says she has no plans of slowing down.
"I hope I can still run until I'm 80 years old, and I have 300 marathons," Sloan said. "And then be interviewed by you again."